


Home Bound

by Barbara_Lazuli



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, but with all the gay lol, face claim for elena is isabela merced, inspired by swan queen, so its the custody drama in ouat, without the fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barbara_Lazuli/pseuds/Barbara_Lazuli
Summary: A chance encounter lets Trini meet Elena, the daughter she gave up years ago. She was willing to let her daughter live her life with a new family, until she discovers that Elena's foster parent was Trini's high school bully.Well, she can't really let a woman like Kimberly Hart raise her daughter, can she?
Relationships: Kimberly Hart/Trini
Comments: 36
Kudos: 127





	1. Trini Gomez

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someday, somewhere, somehow
> 
> I'll love again
> 
> I just need to find someone

[ _"It's a beautiful baby girl," the doctor says. "Would you like to hold her?"_

_She's exhausted and her entire body is sore. She's covered in sweat, but she can tell it's tears streaming down her cheeks. Does she want to hold her?_

_Arms come up to cover her eyes. With a heavy heart, Trini Gomez shakes her head._ ]

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

It's been exactly fourteen years since then. Trini wonders. Of course she does. She wonders how her daughter is doing. She wonders what she looks like. She wonders what kind of family has raised her - _if_ one has chosen her. But she doesn't wonder what would happen if she kept her.

She doesn't have to. She would have been an unfit mother. Especially since --

Bile rises up her throat. Maybe another drink wasn't such a good idea. 

"Hey."

Someome sits on the stool next to her. Trini takes a quick glance at a young woman three, maybe four years younger if Trini had to guess. On any other day, maybe Trini would have been interested.

"I noticed you've been here a while," the woman says. "Are you alone?"

She literally just said that she'd been watching Trini, so she decides lying would be pointless. "Yeah."

The woman curiously tips her head to the side. "I've lived in Angel Grove since I was a teenager and I'm pretty sure I've never seen you before."

"Look, if you're gonna hit on me, save your breath. I'm not in the mood for it."

The woman grins. "I have a girlfriend who I am very committed to. So no, I wasn't gonna hit on you. Just friendly conversation, I swear."

"Oh." Blood rushes to Trini's face.

"It's cool. Don't be embarassed. I get why you'd think that. It's friday, and I wanted to have a drink, but my girl's too tired from her shift to come with." She twirls the stool so that she's fully facing Trini. She only now notices that the other woman, unlike others who have hit on her, is keeping a respectful distance between them. "So. Newbie or tourist?"

"Neither," Trini answers. She may not be in the mood for a quick lay, but a chat with a stranger may just be the distraction she needs from this horrible churning in her stomach. "I used to live here during my sophomore year. Moved to another town just after the school year ended."

"So what brings you back to our small, boring town?"

"Got offered a job. And I'm sick of the city life. Boring towns can be nice, too."

"If that's the case, then why do you look so glum? You got a new job! Shouldn't you be celebrating?"

Trini quirks a brow at her. "Why so curious, stranger?"

She throws a charming grin her way. "I'm a bored girl in a boring town."

Trini worries her lip with her teeth as she eyes her drink. Her finger slides against the lip of her glass as she hesitates. "It's my daughter's birthday today. She should be fourteen now."

"Oh. Wow." She looks Trini up and down. "Fourteen?"

Trini tilts her chin upwards, like a dare. "Trying to guess my age?" She doesn't wait for an answer. "I was nineteen when I had her."

The stranger nods slowly, careful not to give anything away. "But you're here, sulking."

"Yeah." Trini downs the last of her drink. It burns her throat. "I gave her up."

"Aw, shit, dude. I'm sorry."

Trini's brows furrow. "Why are you sorry?" People don't usually apologize. They usually get mad at the mother who abandons her child. Not that she'd blame them. 

"I mean." She shrugs. "You must really miss her. You must want to be able to tell her happy birthday or something."

Trini blinks. "What?"

"You regret giving her away, right?"

"N-No, I didn't. I don't regret it at all."

"Then why are you so sad?"

"I'm not -- I don't regret it! I would have been a horrible mother. I --" Moisture invades her eyes. Frustrated, she presses the palm of her hand against it. "I wasn't fit to be a mother then. And I sure as hell can't be now."

"Hey." The stranger rubs soothingly at Trini's back. "Are you okay?"

Trini pushes her away. "I need to leave." She pulls out her wallet and leaves her payment on the marble table before she jumps off her stool.

The air outside the bar is cool enough to sober her up. Trini lingers by the entrance for a moment to compose herself. She sniffs once and wipes the tears from her eyes. She sets off but hears the woman calling after her. She shouldn't have lingered. She walks faster.

After she turns a corner, she checks behind her for her tail. She's lost her. Trini barely gets to feel relieved about it until another person's shoulder bumps against her.

"Sorry," the other person mumbles and Trini rolls her eyes.

It really is cold out tonight. She digs her hands into the pockets of her coat for warmth. Something feels different, and it isn't long before Trini realizes that her wallet is gone. Her head whips around. "Hey!" she calls out to the person who shouldered past her.

Terrible idea, since it makes the person flee.

Trini curses and runs after them. Trini has short legs that would have been a disadvantage, but luckily the culprit seems just as small as she is. Through sheer stubborness and determination, Trini catches up and pins the culprit against a random bulding's wall by the wrist.

"Why, you sneaky little brat," Trini hisses.

The culprit is a young girl, probably in her early teens. She lets out a huff of breath to blow her bangs away from fierce amber eyes. She defiantly looks back, though Trini can see a hint of fear in her expression. On one of the hands Trini is holding is her grey wallet.

"Let go, lady!" the girl whines as she struggles against Trini's strong grip. "You're harassing a minor."

Trini scoffs at the nerve of this kid. She lets go of one wrist to pluck out her wallet. "And you just stole this from me."

"Fine, you can have it back." She pulls at the arm Trini is still holding. "Can you let me go now?"

Trini takes in the girl's appearance. Nothing strange about the baggy clothes. Trini actually dressed very similarly when she was at that age. No, what catches Trini's attenttion are the huge, stuffed bag strapped to the girl's back and the garbage bag that fell to pavement after Trini pinned her. She doubts that black plastic bag is filled with garbage.

"Are you homeless?" Trini asks.

The girl scoffs, but suddenly looks away. "No."

Trini regards her again. "You're running away from home." The girl doesn't answer. She just kicks at a small rock. Trini lets out a heavy sigh. She lets go of the girl's wrist but grabs the collar of the girl's shirt from the back.

"Wha -- Hey! What're you doing!?"

"Pick up your stuff," Trini says, grip on the girl's shirt unrelenting. "I'm taking you back home." She gives the girl a push, more to annoy her than hurt. Even if she just stole from her, Trini understands that she's still a kid. 

"I'm -- hey! -- I'm not some stray cat, ya know," the girl groans but doesn't move. "Just let me go. You have your wallet back. Just go home, lady."

"Not until I make sure you're back at yours. A kid like you shouldn't be on the streets. Or would you rather I bring you to the sheriff station for stealing?" No answer. "Yeah, I thought so." Another push. "Now move."

The girl walks, feet dragging behind her. " _Esto es estupido_ ," she grumbles.

Trini lets an amused smirk grace her lips. " _Puedo entenderte, chica_."

The girl turns her head to narrow her eyes at Trini. When she turns back ahead, she grumbles something incomprehensible.

"What's your name?" Trini asks.

"You first."

"Oh, like you didn't looked at my I.D. when you had my wallet."

The girl is silent for a second until she answers. "Elena."

Trini stops walking and the girl - Elena - lets out a choked "Ack!"

"Hey!"

Trini shakes her head. "S-Sorry. Let's keep walking."

Elena mumbles "Weirdo", but Trini ignores it. That churning in her stomach is back. Soon, Elena brings them in front of a small but charming two-storey house. 

"Is this it?" 

"Yeah."

"Alright." Trini steps into the front lawn and practically drags Elena with her. 

"Wait. What are you gonna do?"

"Talk to your parents."

"I don't have -- You're gonna wake her up at _this_ hour? Come on, lady." Elena pushes on Trini's shoulder to prevent her from taking another step further. "Just let me sneak back in. She doesn't need to be bothered."

Trini gives her an unimpressed look. "And how am I so sure that you won't sneak back out when I leave?" 

Elena groans and lets her head hang low by her shoulders. "Fine."

Trini stares. Maybe it's because Elena is making herself look pitiful and it's working on her. Maybe it's the fact that Trini sees a smidgen of her younger self in this young girl. Maybe it's the _name_. Whatever the reason, Trini finds her hand letting go of the girl and her expression softening.

"Why did you run away?"

Elena's head suddenly darts up and she looks quiziccally at Trini. "Huh?"

"Do they hurt you?"

Elena's head shakes. "No! I just --" Elena worries her lip with her teeth. "I felt like... like I couldn't be there anymore."

Trini's hands rest on her hips. She feels so tired. "Look. I know that that feeling can be suffocating. Like you need to leave so you can find a place to breathe, but running away isn't the best choice here. If you don't like it here, then make a plan for the future. You're still so young. Wait until you're old enough. Being safe with a roof over your head is still so much better than out there on the streets. And who knows? Things might get better while you wait."

Elena sniffs once and wipes something from her eye. "Okay."

Trini smiles. "Okay." She jerks her head at the house. "Now get inside. It's cold out here."

"You're not gonna rat me out anymore?"

"Just promise not to run away again," she says with a stern finger. "Or _steal_ , for pete's sake."

Elena beams and Trini feels something like warmth in her chest. She's a pretty cute kid, actually.

"Elena!"

Trini hears soft footsteps from the house behind her. Elena's face falls. "Shit."

Trini only offers a sympathetic look. "Sorry. Guess your mom found out anyway."

Elena anxiously pulls at the straps of her bag. "She's not my mom..."

The woman brushes past Trini to engulf Elena in a hug. "Oh, I was so worried! Where were you?!" She pulls away only to squish Elena's face in her hands. Trini has to stifle a laugh at the sight. "Were you hurt?"

"Calm down, Kim," Elena answers as best she could. She pries the woman's hands off her face and glares at Trini for a moment. "I'm not hurt or anything."

"Then where did you go? And why do you have... your bag with you..."

The woman, Kim, trails off. It seems she already figured out the answer to her own question. Kim turns to finally face Trini. 

There are two things Trini notices. First is that Kim is a beautiful woman who looks too young to be Elena's mother. Then again, people could say the same about Trini. Second, is that Trini knows this woman.

Trini is suddenly brought back to her high school days in Angel Grove, back when she was fifteen. Coming back here, Kimberly Hart is on the list of people Trini least wanted to see again, but fate has a really funny way of setting things in motion.

From the look on Kimberly's face, it seems she recognizes her, too.

"You're..." Kimberly blinks rapidly. "Are you Trini Gomez?"

Trini digs her hands in her pockets to make herself look calmer than she actually is. "Honestly impressed that you remember me."

Kimberly shakes her head, as if to convey how ridiculous what Trini said is. "Of course, I remember you. What are you doing here?"

Trini gestures at Elena who is looking curiously between them. "Walked your kid home. It's pretty late, so..."

"Yeah." Kimberly sadly eyes Elena's garbage bag most likely filled with clothes. "It is."

"I'm not her kid," Elena suddenly says. She catches Kimberly's eye before she quickly looks away, almost guiltily. "Like, not officially."

Trini quirks a brow at Kimberly in askance and the other woman wraps her robe more tightly around herself. "I'm her foster parent."

Trini couldn't help the bark of laughter that comes out of her mouth. Suddenly, the sad expression Kimberly had turns into anger. "What are you laughing for?"

"It's just--" a round of giggles interrupts Trini. "How the fuck does someone like you become a noble foster parent?"

Kimberly scoffs. "Someone like me?"

"Oh _please_ , Hart. You know exactly what I meant by that."

Kimberly's jaw clenches. Trini almost feels bad when Kimberly glances at Elena looking so ashamed. _Almost_.

Kimberly marches up to Trini in all her pink robe and fluffy flip flops and says lowly to Trini's face, "You don't know me anymore, Trini. You never did. So don't you dare judge my worth as a parent."

That last part makes Trini take pause. She really doesn't have the right to judge any parent, does she?

Kimberly doesn't wait for a reply. "Let's just go inside," Kimberly tells Elena as she takes her other bag.

"Right, um." Elena looks from her waiting foster mother to Trini. "Just a sec."

Elena surprises Trini when she suddenly embraces her. It's a nice hug, really warm, but Kimberly is staring at them with wide, confused eyes. This is incredibly awkward.

"Uh..."

"Chill out," Elena whispers. "I'm just putting back the money I took from your wallet."

Oh, this fucking brat.

Elena pulls away before Kimberly could say anything. With the most sincere look Trini has seen on her, Elena says, "Thank you."

Elena disappears into the house. Kimberly lets herself stare back for a moment before she shuts the door. Trini is left there, standing outside a charming two-storey home. It's embarrassing, but Trini almost wants to ask for another hug.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

[ _"Would you like to hold her?"_

_Trini shakes her head._

_"Are you sure?"_

_She's crying. So is the baby, and it's hard to ignore. Her heart aches with every wail.Trini makes the mistake of looking. More tears stream down her cheeks._

_She shakes her head again and holds out her tired arms, too choked up to speak. The doctor smiles and hands her the baby._

_Trini holds her daughter for however long she's allowed to._ ] 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heya! first three chapters are gonna be pretty short so sorry bout that. after code yellow, i wanted to try writing more drama. this is a bit ambitious, but i'll try my best. hope you love elena and the things i have in store for this story
> 
> [ the summary for this chapter and the next two is song lyrics from Found from the Steven Universe Movie OST :) ]


	2. Elena Johnson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone who'll treat me better
> 
> Someone who'll want me around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI for those who skipped over the tags; my face claim for Elena is Isabela Merced, who I swear looks like the love child of Becky G and Vanessa Hudgens. You may know her as Dora from the recent live action movie, but really she's a great actress(and singer). Honestly, the fact that Dora was the most likable character there should tell you about her talent. This fic was also inspired by her movie Instant Family with Mark Wahlberg. Y'all should check that out. Funny, wholesome, and a tearjerker, which is everything required for me to love a story.
> 
> I also drew them so check em out here if you wanna see
> 
> https://barbara-lazuli.tumblr.com/post/190291311798/that-feeling-when-your-high-school-bully-ends-up
> 
> https://barbara-lazuli.tumblr.com/post/190286159668/im-back-on-digital-still-rusty-though-and-a

[ _"Elena? What's wrong? It's your birthday today. Why aren't you enjoying it with the others?"_

_Elena feels her bed dip from behind her. She can hear the other kids laughing and playing outside the room she shares with five other girls._

_"I'm ten now," Elena says, voice somber. "I'm getting older, Lauren. No one's gonna want me when I'm older."_

_"That's ridiculous!" Lauren says with a laugh that doesn't sound quite right. "For one, you still look like you're eight."_

_Elena comes out from the blanket she's cocooned around herself. "Laauuuureeen!"_

_Lauren smiles fondly at Elena and fixes her disheveled hair. "There's the birthday girl."_

_Elena crosses her arms. "Whatever. Not even my own mom wanted me."_

_Lauren's face falls. When she pulls Elena to her side, her voice is quieter. "I didn't just come here to tease you, you know. Birthday girls need birthday gifts, don't they?"_

_Elena pulls away to properly look at Lauren "You got me a gift?"_

_"Technically, it came from your mother."_

_Elena gasps. Lauren pulls something out of her pocket and places it on Elena's much tinier hand. It's a simple silver ring, hanging from a thin chain to wear around the neck._

_"Your mother left it with you when you were a baby."_ ]

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Elena's fingers fiddle with the ring hanging from the chain around her neck. After almost four years, it's still too big to fit any of her fingers. The other kids are talking among themselves, fellow teenagers that barely any of the foster candidates are interested in. Hopeful parents-to-be would rather take in a six-year-old rather than some troublemaking teenager after all. So the teenagers have taken over this area of the park for the duration of the Adoption Fair, where they can either bitch about the uninterested adults or sulk about never getting to be taken in by a family. Elena has perched herself ontop of a jungle jim, watching the adults mill about, trying to find a kid they can find a connection with and take home with them. It's like they're shopping for children, and the teenagers are broken, spoiled goods.

"Oh, Daniel hooked someone," Elena whispers to herself, not without excitement. She sips at the juice box he gave her earlier. "Mm, they look rich. That's good, I guess." Daniel's been losing hope that he'd get a placement. The smile on the little boy's face as he plays frisbee with a couple has Elena herself smiling.

"Aw, dude, check it out!" she hears Michael, a boy two years older than her, say. "It's a foster MILF!"

"Where? Where?"

"Over there. The one with the ponytail and pink leather jacket."

"Oh, damn. Let's go talk to her."

Elena snorts as she watches Michael and his friend Derek approach a beautiful woman. These dumbasses. Why would they want to be fostered by someone they're attracted to? They're supposed to be looking for foster moms, not _sugar mommies_. That's just asking for trouble. This woman is way out of their league anyway.

Elena plays with a lock of her own short hair while she watches the woman politely smile at Michael and Derek. She wonders if she'llever be that beautiful at that age.

"Hey, sir, could you pass that?" Wendy, a fifteen-year-old, asks of a blonde man who has picked up a baseball. 

He smiles at her before doing as told. Wendy shouts back her gratitude, but to her and her friends' surprise, he jogs up to the little corner that the teenagers have claimed their own.

"You play?" he asks Wendy, the lone girl playing catch with two boys. There's a name tag stuck to his chest, the name _JASON_ written on it. 

Wendy blushes, now embarrassed. "I'd love to, if I could."

Jason's grin doesn't waver. "Sure, you can! Can I join?"

Wendy looks to the two boys who both shrug. Jason jokes around with them, complimenting each kid, especially Wendy who preens at being appreciated. Elena's hand absently clutches her ring again. Lucky her.

"You're having fun," another person approaches. It's the woman with the leather jacket, _KIMBERLY_ written on her nametag.

"Oh yeah, they're great. Wish we could actually hit with a bat. I got the feeling Wendy here is a pitcher."

"Is he your husband?" Michael asks Kim.

"Oh, no," Jason rapidly shakes his head.

Kimberly grimaces, "Definitely not."

Michael and Derek whisper to each other. Kimberly looks bemused while Elena rolls her eyes from above them. This Kimberly person should just stick to the kiddies.

"Oh, there he is." Jason waves a man over to them. "Billy! Over here!"

"Billy" is a tall, bespectacled man. He carries two water bottles with him, and he immediately hands one to Jason. "Sorry I took so long. I got caught up in a conversation with Lauren. Hey, Kim! Any luck with any of the kids?"

She takes one glance at Michael and Derek before saying, "Not really."

Elena has to stifle her laughter with a fist when she sees the look on the two boys' faces. 

"Jason's been playing with these kids, though," Kimberly adds to Billy.

"Oh?" Billy smiles and waves. "Hi, I'm Jason's husband, Billy."

Laughter resounds from one of the boys. Derek disbelievingly says, "What?"

"I know, right?" Billy says. "I don't know how I got so lucky, either."

"Billy." Jason's smile finally sobers. He puts a hand on his husband's shoulder with a more guarded look. "That's not why he laughed."

A lot of the other kids are walking away now, leaving hushed whispers in their wake. Wendy is stuck to the ground, looking from her friends who are calling her over and the three adults. 

"What's wrong?" Billy asks. "Is the game over?"

"I told you to stick to the kids," Kimberly tells Jason with a sympathetic look.

But Jason holds his gaze with a conflicted Wendy.

"Yo, Wen! Come on!" one of the boys says. _LENNY, 16_ , it reads on his nametag. "We're not so desperate we'd let some fags take us, right?"

Elena doen't like wasting things, especially discarding something a sweet kid like Daniel had given her, but Lenny is right below her from the jungle jim, and dropping the juice box on his sandy blonde hair is incredibly satisfying. It lands perfectly on the nest he calls hair, letting the contents of the container flow generously to his face and shirt.

"What the fuck?!" Lenny takes the juice box and looks up to see Elena. 

"Oh, shit, sorry," she says, though her laughter is a dead give away to her insincerity. "I thought you were a trash bin." She krinkles her nose at him. "You looked so full of garbage, you see."

She faintly hears Kimberly ask who Elena is, to which Jason immediately replies, "I don't know." 

Lenny crushes the carton in his hand. "Fuckin' bitch! You're not getting away with this."

"Bring it, _basura_."

"Elena! Leonard!" Lauren is marching up to them with a fire in her eyes that Elena hasn't seen in a while. "What in the world is happening here?"

Lenny points at Elena like a petulant child. "It was this freak that started it!"

"My hand slipped," Elena tells Lauren with a flutter of her eyelashes. It never works on her, Elena knows. At this point she just does it to irk Lauren. 

Lauren lets out a heavy, tired sigh. "Lenny, go clean yourself up," she stiffly orders and the boy follows with grumbled complaints. "Elena, get down from there." 

Elena jumps down with a huff. Before Lauren can pull in Elena for a reprimand, Billy and Jason are coming between them.

"Don't. It's okay," Jason says, two hands raised at Lauren in a placating gesture.

"She did that for us," Billy adds. "It was actually super cool."

Elena uses this as her chance to get away. Lauren will find her soon, she always does, but she'd rather wait for this Adoption Fair to end alone. She soon finds refuge in a dome in the playground. She pulls out her phone to occupy herself, but she's barely there for five seconds before someone is tapping on the circular window. She furrows her brow at Kimberly who is flashing a smile at her. Soon she is crawling through the hole of the dome and sitting beside Elena.

"Nice place," Kimberly says as she pretends to look around the cramped space.

But Elena isn't buying it. "Why are you following me?"

Kimberly shrugs. "The whole point of this fair is to bond with the kids, right?"

"Yeah, but you want to bond with the _kiddie kids_." Elena mirthlessly smirks. "Don't even deny it. I heard what you said to Jason over there."

"I-I just meant that... a lot of the teens won't be able to accept their relationship, you know? They can be horrible and -"

Elena quirks a brow at her.

"S-Sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

Elena just disinterestedly turns back to her phone. "Sure, you didn't."

"I actually came here to thank you for what you did for Jason and Billy. They're talking to your case worker right now, so hopefully you won't get in trouble."

"Who said I did it for them? Lenny only let Wendy join their game so he could hit on her. I only did that 'cuz he'd been so disgustingly annoying."

"Oh? You got a crush on her?"

"Of course not. Because I'm just a horrible teenager who did that to be just plain _horrible_." 

"Yeah, okay," Kimberly defeatedly says. "I'm bad at this."

"Yeah, you are."

"Ugh."

Elena makes the mistake of looking at Kimberly's downtrodden face. "You're right though," she says, taking pity on her. "It's best you stick to the kiddies. You know. The ones less likely to hit on you?"

That gets a small laugh from Kimberly. She makes a show of flicking her ponytail off of her shoulder. "I knew it. I'm too gorgeous for my own good." 

"And -- this is not to excuse the shitty thing that happened -- but not all the kids back there hated those two guys. A lot of them dreamed to have a family, you know? Even if they deny it. And what they dreamed of usually had a mom and dad in the picture." Elena wouldn't usually even attempt to defend the other teenagers, but Jason and Wendy looked like they had a connection. She just felt that she had to say _something_. "Michael and Derek are just dumbasses who've been looking for the wrong kind of attention though. I feel sorry for them." Kimberly's only reply is to curiously look at Elena's face. She's been doing that a lot. "What?"

"Nothing." The smile on Kimberly's face doesn't waver. "You just remind me so much of someone."

Okay. That isn't weird at all.

"So. You don't think you've matched with anyone yet, right?"

"No. I don't think I'm good with kids."

 _Then why did you sign up for this in the first place?_ Elena almost asks. Instead, she points through the window all the kids she's known. Kimberly doesn't seem too bad. If she can give any of these children a relatively stable home life, then Elena will do her part to help.

"Bobbie's really athletic. And she's always wanted to do camping trips and all those other outdoorsy stuff. Leo's super shy and he probably won't talk to you right away, but when he's comfortable that kid is an absolute chatterbox. Lily can be a bit of a troublemaker, but she's also really thoughtful."

"You sure know a lot about the kids."

"I don't really get along with the kids my age, so I hang out with the younger kids." It was supposed to be an offhanded explanation, something matter-of-fact, but Elena's cheeks burn when she realizes how pathetic she sounded. Maybe she shouldn't have admitted that. "A-Anyway... you should go outside and talk to the kids if you wanna find your match."

"Yeah. Thanks." Just before she leaves the dome, Kimberly says, "See you later, Elena."

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

It isn't long before Elena finds out what Kimberly meant by "later". Lauren calls her almost a week after the adoption fair with so much excitement that Elena almost couldn't believe it's Lauren on the other end.

"That can't be right," Elena says to her phone. She's gripping her mother's ring with her other hand. "Why would she want me?"

"She said she really liked you. Maybe she realized you're a great kid after you defended Jason and Billy Scott."

"I didn't defend them. I threw my juice box at Lenny because he was annoying."

"You said the same thing about the girl that was messing with Daniel."

"Her voice was so shrill. It was irritating."

"Elena --"

"Give it back!"

"Was that Jenny?" Lauren guesses with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Yeah. She and Lily are fighting again. Gimme a sec." 

Elena plucks out the doll Lily is holding away from Jenny. Lily cries betrayal at her over it, but she needed to only shoot her a stern look before she relents and lets Elena give the doll back to Jenny. She pats both kids' heads before she leaves their noisy bedroom. She passes their caretakers Jonathan and Gina in the living room then goes out of the house to sit on the porch's worn chair.

"I scheduled you two for a visit this friday," Lauren tells her when she calls her back.

"Cancel it," Elena says with a bit of a whine in her voice. "I'm not living with her."

"Elena."

"Awe, come on. She'll only foster me for a few years then I leave when I turn eighteen. And you know I refuse to be adopted. So what's the point?"

"The point is that Kimberly may be able to give you a more comfortable life than you have now. Jonathan and Gina are great, but with so many kids, you know they can only do so much. You need a _parent_ , Elena, and right now it can't be your mo --"

"No. Don't finish that."

"I know it's hard. I went through the same things, you know that. But you have to be open to other possibilities."

"I don't want to play pretend family."

"You won't have to. Kimberly only wants to give you a safe place to come home to."

"Right."

"Is that a yes?"

Elena pulls the chain off her neck. "... sure. She'll put me back when she gets sick of me anyway. And when that happens, I'll be spamming you with pictures of my smug face."

"This friday, four in the afternoon," Lauren says instead of acknowledging that last part. "I emailed her profile to you. You should check it out."

So she does after Lauren hangs up. 

Kimberly Hart. Thirty-three. A professional photographer with her own studio. Isn't married, signed up to become the single mother of a foster child. Lives in a small fishing town called Angel Grove.

Elena spins the ring around her thumb as she reads. It's still too big.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

"Elena! Lauren and Miss Hart are here!" she hears Gina announce from her room.

Jonathan is coraling the other children to the backyard when Elena gets to the living room. Kimberly and Lauren are talking to Gina on the couch, but they stop their chatter when they notice Elena hovering by the doorway. 

"Oh good, you're here." Gina gets up and smiles warmly at Kimberly. "I'll stay with the kids to give you some privacy."

"Just relax. And try to be a little less guarded, okay?" Lauren whispers to Elena before following Gina to the backyard.

"It's good to see you again," Kimberly says and Elena nods in response. "So, um, I know you aren't really all that, uh, _impressed_ with me, but I promise, I'll do my best to keep you safe and cater to your needs. I can't promise that I'll be perfect, but like I said, I'll do my best."

Elena lets out a huff of a laugh and leans back in her seat. "Did you get that line from one of your seminars?"

Kimberly flushes. There's something satisfying about flustering a confident adult like Kimberly. "I did, actually," she admits, but hurries to add, "But that doesn't make it any less true."

Yeah, right.

"Tell me something that isn't scripted then. Why did you suddenly decide to foster? You're young and not married yet. You can still have kids when you do. Are you one those people who think they're making the world a better place by taking in poor little orphan kids? Is it for the good rep?" She laughs and adds thoughtlessly, "Or maybe you're just super lonely?"

There's a pause where Kimberly thinks. Then she replies with a shrug, "That last one, I guess. I'm not a good person. And I don't care about reputation anymore." Kimberly gives her this shy, uncertain smile. "So I guess I'm just a little lonely."

Elena is taken aback by the answer. Kimberly looks away, embarrassed. She's telling the truth.

"Then get a dog," Elena says to break the moment. It's too... tender. She doesn't like it.

"I'd rather take care of someone who uses a toilet," she says with a chuckle. "I have a spare room, and I'm capable of providing for someone else. If it means my house becomes a little less quiet, then I don't mind sharing what I have."

"But why me?"

Kimberly gives her that same, curious smile. "I told you. You remind me a lot of someone."

"I'm not gonna become anybody's replacement."

"And I'm not replacing your mother. I'm just someone who wants to help. So could you let me?"

There's something about the look in Kimberly's eyes. Familiar. She's seen that before, hasn't she? Everytime she's looked in the mirror, waiting for someone that she isn't even sure is coming back. But maybe she's waited long enough. There's a woman in front of her right now who _chooses_ to be with her.

Honestly... Elena's been lonely, too.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Angel Grove is as quaint and small as Elena expected. Kimberly takes Elena with her on a Saturday, but Elena barely sees anyone on the streets as they drive to Kimberly's home. 

"It's quiet here," Elena says.

"It's okay. You can say 'boring'. I won't get offended."

Elena almost smiles. "No. Until I've been to the high school, I won't judge it yet."

Kimberly takes a detour to give Elena a quick tour of the town. They drive by the high school, the local park, the rec center, and even the hospital.

"Just so you have an idea where everything is," Kimberly explains. 

Kimberly's home is a two-storey house with enough space for two, maybe three, people to live in. It's in the more beautiful part of the neighborhood, which Elena suspects to be the "Rich People" block. It's ways away from the high school, which is why Kimberly got Elena her own bike.

"In case you didn't want to take the school bus," Kimberly says. "I know I hated it."

Elena only hums in reply as she runs a hand against the cool metal of her new bike. She chooses not to tell Kimberly that she doesn't even know how to ride one.

"You don't like it?"

It's so irritating how Kimberly's brown eyes make her look so much like a sad puppy when she pouts. "No, it's just --"

\-- _so fucking pink, what the hell?_ \--

"-- really surprising." Elena smiles tightly. "You didn't have to. Thanks."

Kimberly waves it off. "It's nothing. Come on. Let me give you a tour of the house."

Kimberly's home isn't as big or extravagant as all the other houses in the block, but it's well-furnished and painted with soothing pastel colors. It's a far cry from the state of the house of her other placements', where the full time fosters usually only have what's necessary to accommodate the needs of the occupants, furniture and walls aged and worn from the multitude of children that have cycled their way through the system. This isn't the home of someone taking in a foster child for a job. This is the home of someone who is hoping for a new addition to the family.

Elena feels so out of place.

"My room's over there, that's the guest room, and this... is your room."

Elena wasn't sure what to expect of "her" room, but it seems neither did Kimberly know what to prepare for a girl like her. The walls are coral pink, like most of the rooms in this house. A huge canopy bed sits in the middle of the room, with a bare wooden dresser beside it and a closet against the wall in front of it. It's barely decorated, like a bare canvas Kimberly prepared for Elena to paint however she wants.

"I wanted to wait for you to decorate it yourself," Kimberly explains. "If you want to. Though I may have gone overboard with the bed, sorry. " Kimberly scratches her chin. "I planned to get a girl much younger than you, so I bought that before I met you at the fair."

"You think all little girls want canopy beds?"

" _I_ did," Kimberly admits with a shrug. "You don't like it?"

What Elena means to say is that it wouldn't matter if she likes it. It isn't really _hers_ , none of it is. Even the clothes she wears is a donation. The only thing she can call her own is the ring hanging from her neck.

"It's fine," she says instead.

"Okay."

For a moment, Kimberly just stands there. Elena can see from her peripherals that Kimberly is struggling to start a conversation, but she opts to pretend to be interested in her room than acknowledge it. Eventually, Kimberly gives up.

"I'll leave you to it, then. I'll go prepare dinner for us in the meantime."

Unpacking didn't take very long for Elena. She only had a few set of clothes and some books and journals to bring. All her belongings that didn't fit in her bag were put in a black trash bag. Elena felt a twinge of shame when she brought it up to Kimberly 's car, but the older woman only gave it a brief glance. If Kimberly thought anything of her belongings, she didn't express nor show it.

After she has finished, Elena lounges on her spacious bed, staring up at the ceiling. It's so terribly quiet without Jenny and Lily's bickering or Philip's chatter or Gina's singing. If there's an opposite for claustrophobia, then that's what Elena is feeling. There's just too much space in this bed, this room, this house.

It's too quiet, until she hears Kimberly's pained cries of profanity.

Elena is quick to climb down the stairs. Her heart is beating out of her rib cage, so many possibilities running in her mind, until she arrives at the bottom of the steps by the doorway leading to the kitchen. 

Kimberly's long hair is tied up in a messy bun, a pink - as expected - apron tied around her person. The pot is steaming with something cooking, and the ends of raw pasta noodles tells Elena exactly what it is. A chopping board is under an onion chopped in half, part of it already sliced, and Kimberly is standing over it with a finger in her mouth.

"Hey," Kimberly casually says, voice muffled by her finger.

"Hey," Elena says back as she props her chin on top of her hand resting on the banister, her worry now replaced by amusement. "Need some help cooking, _Mom_?"

When she sees Kimberly look hopeful for one moment until the reality of Elena's sarcastic intention dawns on her, Elena regrets saying the M-word. Wasn't worth it. 

"It's fine," Kimberly says with a forced smile as she places her finger under the faucet water. "You got some packing to do. I got this."

But Elena ignores Kimberly's attempt to dismiss her. She enters the kitchen and grabs a ladle and uses it to push the pasta noodles all the way into the hot water.

"The pasta wouldn't have been cooked right if you kept it going like that."

"Shit. Right."

"You coulda broken it in half. Haven't you ever cooked before?"

"I have," Kimberly says with an indignant puff of her chest. Then it deflates. "Just not always successfully." She holds up her finger and sheepishly smiles. "I'm not very good at cutting stuff either."

Elena lets her face soften from the wry look it had. "You okay?"

"Just a tiny cut. I'll just go put a band aid on it real quick."

Elena has already finished cutting the onion into thin slices by the time Kimberly comes back. 

"Wow," Kimberly observes her with an impressed look. "You look like you really know your way around the kitchen."

"I had to cook for myself and the other kids often before I got Jonathan and Gina as fosters." She doesn't look away from the flattened garlic cloves she's peeling. She'd rather not see whether Kimberly is giving her a pitiful look or a patronizing one. Maybe both. "How about you, Ms. Hart? How have _you_ been feeding yourself?"

"Oh, please. Just 'Kim'. And, uh, I usually eat at Jason and Billy's place. You've met them. They're great. Been friends with them since high school. But if I'm not doing that, then just take out."

"Wow." 

When Elena said that, she meant that she was impressed with how close Kimberly actually is with the Scotts. But Kimberly probably thought that Elena was making fun of Kimberly's inability to feed herself, because she adds, "I'm putting in the effort, I promise. I've been having Jason teach me. I even have my aunt video chat me when she can. I'm a capable adult, I swear."

That gets a chuckle out of Elena. "Okay, chill. CPS won't take me away 'cause of your bad cooking skills."

"They might."

"Then I won't tell Lauren. Just in case."

Kimberly gives her a beaming smile. "Speaking of Jason and Billy... they finally decided on a kid. And they chose Wendy Murphy."

"Oh. Cool."

Kimberly hums. "I thought you'd be more excited. You're friends with her, right?"

Elena snorts. "I've never seen her before the Adoption Fair."

"Oh. But you like her, right?"

"I have no opinion of her."

Kimberly shrugs. "Better than a negative, I guess. Wouldn't it be good to have at least one familiar face in town?"

"Sure." If she stays long enough.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Billy and Jason Scott invites them to dinner two weeks after Elena's arrival and a few days since Wendy's. By then, Kimberly has given up insisting that she can cook on her own. Somehow, Elena has become in charge of cooking with Kimberly as her talkative and eager assistant. Elena would say that it's annoying, but then she'd be lying. Kimberly isn't a terrible person to live with. She hasn't insisted on making Elena see her as her mother, though she's sure it's something Kimberly would love. No, for now Kimberly is just her much older roommate who knows shit about cooking and loves watching sitcoms while eating on the couch.

"Billy and Jason invited us to dinner tomorrow," Kimberly says with her mouth full of fried rice. On the t.v. in front of them, the grumpy female detective says something scary to the other characters that makes Kimberly giggle. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, but we'd love it if you would. Plus, you might become actual friends with Wendy."

"What, like some kid of play date?"

There's a sparkle in Kimberly's eyes. "Do you want it to be? I'm a pretty decent wingman. Or like, if there's a platonic wingman, then I can be that."

"I'm gonna throw rice at you."

Kimberly laughs. "Don't even joke about that. Rice is a bitch to clean. By the way. The movie adaptation of that book you like is showing in a few days."

Elena looks away from the television. "You know about that?"

"Yeah. That book looks like it could use a new jacket cover by the way. Anyway, wanna go to the city and watch it with me this weekend?"

"Uh... I don't really... I'm not into movie adaptations," she lies. "They always ruin the source material."

"Oh. Right." Kimberly's face is disappointed for only a second before she switches back to an easy smile.

They stay silent for a moment, only the sound of the goofy main character's rambling filling the silence. There's this guilt in Elena's chest, and she hates it. She isn't obligated to hang out with Kimberly, so she shouldn't feel bad. 

But she does.

"I can go to dinner with the Scotts, though."

Kimberly startles the tiniest bit at the sudden statement. "Really?"

"Sure." Lightly, Elena adds, "They probably cook better than you."

Kimberly makes an offended sound. "How dare."

Somebody makes a witty joke on the show and Kimberly is distracted once again.

A different kind of guilt resurfaces in Elena's chest. It's cold on her skin, the golden ring tucked underneath her shirt.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Wendy is the one who opens the door for them when they knock on the Scott's home. She gives them a proper smile, shaking Kimberly's hand like she's meeting a business partner. So proper and formal. So... fake.

"It's great to see you again, Miss Heart," Wendy says as she ushers them in. She turns to Elena and gives her a more casual nod. "Hey."

A wave in reply. "'Sup."

"Billy is still on his way home from work. And Jason's almost done in the kitchen. Please wait here, I'll go get him."

Wendy leaves them, and Kimberly is barely settled into the couch when Elena whispers to her ear, "Your friends made a mistake. I think they just adopted someone's forty-year-old secretary. Her boss is probably looking for her."

Kimberly has her lips curled inwards, but Elena knows she's just holding back a laugh. "It's only been a few days since she moved in here. She's probably just nervous and trying her best. Plus, Lauren has her birth certificate and junk."

"Or _does_ she? Could be fabricated."

"Stop," Kimberly says but there's a smile on her face, so Elena sticks her tongue out at her.

The Scotts are kind. Elena may not be friends with Wendy, nor does she think she wants to be, but she's happy for her. Not every kid is lucky.

"So how are you taking Angel Grove, Elena?" Jason asks when dinner is already served and Billy has arrived, seated with them.

"It's okay," Elena replies with a half-shrug. "'Kim isn't the worst person to live with."

"Really?" Jason gives her a teasing look. "You must be behaving yourself. That's great."

There's a tight smile on Kimberly's face, and it looks like she's about to bite back a reply but Billy beats her to it.

"Don't worry, Elena. She doesn't mean anything bad by it. And Kim's really doing her best. She regularly attends the foster parent support group with us, and she even attends cooking class by herself."

"Okay," Kimberly interrupts. "There's no need for that, is there, Billy?"

"Right. Sorry, sorry."

Kimberly swerves the topic of conversation to other things then, asking Wendy how she is and if she likes it here with Jason and Billy. Elena is quiet the whole time, only answering with short replies when she gets asked a question. 

They're finished with dinner when Kimberly excuses herself to talk privately with Jason and Billy. That leaves Elena alone with Wendy, and she occupies with her phone to pass the time. She thinks Wendy would stay quiet as well until the older girl speaks.

"So. How are you? Really?"

Elena looks back curiously, and she sees a genuinely concerned look on her face.

"Jason and Billy tell me Kim's a good person, but it doesn't hurt to double check," Wendy elaborates. "Lauren and the others try their best, but not everyone who fosters are good people."

"Oh." It's kind of surprising. Maybe Wendy isn't as fake as she thought she was. "Like I said. She isn't the worst person to live with."

"But do you like it there?"

"What does it matter?" Elena smirks wryly as she shrugs. "I won't be _staying_ anyway."

"Ah." Wendy gives her this knowing look. "You're one of those kids."

Elena's brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"You know. One of those kids hung up on their 'real family'." Before Elena could properly react, Wendy adds, "Don't worry. I don't mean anything bad by it."

Elena is frowning now, but she reigns herself in. There's no need to be upset. It wasn't meant to be offending. "What about you, then?"

"Me? I wasn't abandoned. My mom died when I was younger." Wendy gives her a sad smile. "I have no one to wait for. Who knows." She jerks her head to where Jason and Billy are talking to Kim. "Maybe it's them."

"But she isn't mine. I already have a mom."

"Can't you have two? I have two dads here right now."

Elena lightly chuckles. "That's different."

"Not really. There's an easy fix to that."

"Oh yeah," Elena sarcastically says. "I'll have my bio mom marry my foster mom. Problem solved."

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Elena loses her mother's ring four years since the day Lauren gave it to her, almost two months since she arrived in Angel Grove. Just her fucking luck.

"Hey El, you okay in there?" Kimberly says from behind her room's door after a tentative knock. "I heard you shout a bunch of stuff in Spanish, so I'm guessing not that great." When Elena opens the door, Kimberly's eyes widen at the state of her room. "Wow. Finally decided to redecorate?"

Elena shakes her head. "I lost it. I lost my ring."

"Your ring? I don't think I've seen you wear rings before."

"I wear it on a chain around my neck. But I just -- I just realized that it's broken now and I have no idea where it is and --"

Hot tears prick Elena's eyes and she presses them against her palms. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"Hey, it's okay." She feels Kimberly come closer and gently hold her by the shoulders. "What does it look like? I can help you find it. And even if we don't, I can buy you a new one. Maybe we can find something similar, or even prettier!"

"No!" Elena shoves Kimberly off of her, away from her. "My mom gave it to me! You can't just replace it! You can't just replace her!"

The room becomes quiet after her sudden outburst. Kimberly stares at her with hurt in her brown eyes, and the sight of it fills Elena with regret.

"Her... ring... I meant... I'm sorry."

Kimberly steps farther back, almost hugging herself. She smiles, but it fails to mask her hurt. "It's okay."

But it isn't. Kimberly should have chosen a kid like Wendy, someone who wasn't hung up on their "real family", someone who would be happy to be Kimberly's. 

Even a dog would be better than Elena.

"I'm really sorry," she apologizes again before she storms out of her room. She needs to get out, to calm down.

She hears voices from the living room as she climbs down the steps, but she's too busy furiously rubbing the tears from her eyes to acknowledge them. They get louder into a cheer when Elena's hand is already on the door knob. 

"Happy birth... day..."

It starts off as a loud greeting, joyous, until it trails off when Elena turns around. There's a handful of people in the living room, some of them she can recognize from the framed photos all over the house. Kimberly's parents must be there. She can also see Jason and Billy with Wendy. But Elena still has tears in her eyes, and judging by the shock and confusion in their faces, it's likely they noticed.

"Shit," Kimberly curses, hurrying down the steps to talk to the people in the living room.

"Sorry," she says to a middle aged woman she looks very similar to. Her mother? "Something happened and I don't think now's the time."

"Seriously?" a kid whines. "Does that mean we still can't eat?"

A young man puts his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Phil, come on. Manners. Didn't we talk about this?"

"I'm really sorry."

"Kimmy, it's okay."

Kimberly goes on apologizing to her friends and family. The whole time they steal glances at Elena, whispering among themselves, and suddenly the house feels too crowded, too small. Every single person in this room is a stranger.

Her hand is still on the knob. She turns it and finally storms out.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

Elena comes back with a relatively calm head, fourteen unanswered messages and five missed calls from Kimberly when she comes back. The sun has long since set, and the house is no longer filled with strangers.

Kimberly's family probably think she's incredibly rude to run off on them, but she didn't know what else to do. Kimberly's been so good to her, she even invited her family to celebrate Elena's birthday. Kimberly told her that she isn't holding out hope for Elena to be a part of it all, but she is, isn't she? Elena doesn't belong here, this isn't the home she wanted, and Kimberly deserves a child who wants to stay.

It's fine if she leaves. Kimberly isn't alone, not really. 

Kimberly isn't home yet, and Elena takes this as her chance to pack her things. Her wardrobe has become bigger thanks to Kimberly, but she only brings with her the clothes she came here with. She can't take them with a clear conscience, neither can she take money from Kimberly even if she needs it outside. She'll have enough to get to Lauren's. Even if she doesn't, she'll figure something out. 

She just can't stay here anymore.

So she leaves, and the answer to her dilemma comes in the form of a woman coming out of a local bar. Her mind looks preoccupied with something, and she's likely drunk, too. Elena smirks.

Sorry, miss.

<<<< >>>> <<<< >>>>

[ _"It's from my mom?" Elena takes the ring in her hands with so much wonder and care, as if it were the most precious thing she has ever seen._

_Lauren nods. "There's something inscribed on it. Read it."_

_Elena squints as she holds it up to her face. "Mi corazon. Elena." She blinks. "I don't understand what the first words said, but that's my name, right?"_

_"It is. That's where we got it from. And those other words are spanish. Your mom probably spoke it."_

_"Then, I gotta learn it, don't I? Do you know it, Lauren? Can you teach me?"_

_Lauren scratches her chin with an uncertain smile. "I'm not really fluent, but I know what the words on the ring mean. 'My heart, Elena'."_

_"Wow." Elena stares at the ring, the only connection she has to her mother._

_"Elena, I need you to know, parents have many reasons when they give their children to us. It doesn't always mean that she didn't want you. She could have wanted you. This ring says you were her heart, you were very important, but she couldn't keep you even if she wanted to. She loved you, and this ring is proof of that."_

_Elena feels tears roll down her cheeks, but there's a smile on her face. With the ring in her fist, she wraps her arms around Lauren._

_"Thank you."_

_Her mother loved her. If that's the case, then all she needs to do is wait. Her mommy will come back, she knows she will._ ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about Elena! Her name is from Sta. Elena, the barangay (its kinda like a district in a city I guess) I grew up in. Always loved the name. One of its notable landmarks is the Our Lady of the ABANDONED Church winkwink
> 
> As for her surname, my limited research told me that orphans who have no known connection to their birth parents are given simple names like Smith, Jones, etc. by the court or caretakers or whoever found them. I chose Johnson because if you take into account that "jaune" means yellow, that would make her surname mean "Child of Yellow"


End file.
